KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 — Health care workers have castigated the Ministry of Health (MOH) for spending money on top artistes – Siti Nurhaliza and Jamal Abdillah – at its Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration yesterday.
Contract doctors’ group Hartal Doktor Kontrak (HDK) sarcastically asked if people “outside” the MOH were criticising Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad and the ministry out of jealousy.
“MOH staff are happy, even though their on-call or OT allowance is super low, claims get rejected all the time, equipment can’t be purchased due to the lack of allocations, but at least MOH’s top management can have fun with famous artistes.
“If you want to further cut our allowance, that’s fine, as long as you hire even more artistes to perform next year,” HDK wrote sarcastically on its Facebook page.
HDK also posted a person’s comment that slammed MOH’s top leadership: “While your staff are doing on-call now and being worked to death to cover two to three insufficient staff, plus the on-call allowance [increase] that was promised and said to be a ‘done deal’ by the stupidest press secretary I have ever seen, you are all having fun at a Raya feast, hiring Dato CT and Jamal Abdillah. Sial semua ni.”
“MOH staff are suffering – overworked and underpaid – while top management are smiling and dancing while listening to Siti Nurhaliza sing. They truly understand MOH staff,” another person said sarcastically, in response to HDK’s post.
Medical officers and specialist doctors in the public health service have yet to receive their on-call allowance hike that was allocated in Budget 2025, after Cabinet killed the Waktu Bekerja Berlainan (WBB) pilot project that provided the allowance increase only to doctors from selected departments or hospitals that were meant to pilot a new shift system.
Another person, citing ChatGPT, noted that Siti was reported to have been paid RM70,000 for a 30-minute performance, RM90,000 for a performance of four songs, and RM110,000 for an hour-long performance, around 2019 to 2020.
Dzulkefly’s Facebook post of the MOH’s Raya event at the ministry’s headquarters in Putrajaya, which included photos of performances by Siti and Jamal, received over 200 comments, mostly negative. The health minister’s caption included the #MADANIBekerja hashtag.
“MOH’s HQ is so tone deaf,” one person wrote.
Some people asked how much the MOH spent on the star-studded event with the famous singers.
“Ministry people are so lucky to have a kayangan level feast with expensive artistes. It would be better if that budget was used to repair dilapidated clinics instead,” wrote another person.
A government doctor questioned if the on-call allowance will only be increased after the tabling of Budget 2026, saying: “Was MOH’s Raya celebration good? You don’t want to give a Raya celebration for us down here?”
“Strange – having fun even though the ship is sinking,” wrote a medical officer.
Another person wrote: “Wow. So much money eh? At this clinic, staff have to buy themselves the tissue used after scanning a patient. On-call pharmacists can only claim hours, not payment.”
Several health care workers complained that they have yet to receive their on-call or OT claims. “I haven’t been paid my allowance for three years, with the excuse that the MOH has no money, while they work the staff hard day and night until they’re worn out.”
“On-call allowance still hasn’t been increased. Nurses are ordered to work extra hours. Hospitals face doctor shortages because many have resigned. And here you are busy paying Siti and Jamal to sing while you eat delicious food. Go to hell for oppressing the workers below. So-called Madani Bekerja,” said another.
MOH’s lavish Raya celebration was attended by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Health Minister Dzulkefly, Deputy Health Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni, Health director-general Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan, MOH secretary-general Suriani Ahmad, other top ministry officials, and at least one MP.
